Personal Branding

Whether or not you own a business, we all have a personal brand. It is more than our religion, race, gender, political ideology or even self-perception. It contains many things and is really a 360°, three dimensional view of what we are too the world.
Through the work of business planning, business owners think about their business identity, but ultimately as leaders and simply people, we should all look to our own brand. Are you honest, smart, pleasant, reliable, attentive? Do others seek your counsel, do you keep secrets or share them? How do you treat your fellow human? Your pet? What do you eat, how do you exercise and what priorities do you have?
This time of year, most people think about resolutions. Why not look to some things in your brand you want to do more of? This is often a phrase or affirmation to measure your priorities every day. Here are few examples:
• I am thankful for all of the people in my life.
• I celebrate my health and take care of my body.
• I find time for joy each day.
• I seek to act and speak with good intent.
Try to focus on your brand and the positive you wish more of. It is a new decade and a new year. Make the most of yourself and your brand!

Healthy tips

Help! I have felt sick for nearly a month, and the holiday season of eating and drinking hasn’t helped. I tried to get back to the gym. I feel even worse afterwards. What can I do to shake off the holiday sickness and blues?
All kinds of people feel the same way! The New Year’s paradox of hitting the gym and getting back into fitness is both desirable and often hard. You have been overindulgent for a while and your body has adjusted to getting too much in excess – food, alcohol, rest and even stress.
Studies have shown that moderate, regular exercise boosts the immune system and decreases the rate of respiratory tract illness. Your immune system fights most effectively when it isn’t stressed. Don’t make the mistake of trying to go back full force into a workout schedule. A single rigorous exercise session or event may make you more susceptible to infection. Pay attention to your body. There is the good “push” of effort, which is different from pain or over exertion.
After illness, injury or being sedentary for 2 weeks or more, you need to ease into your workout regime. Start with a nice long walk, light cardio, tennis, easy jogs or whatever might be comfortable for you. Think of it as ½ speed and effort in the beginning. Usually a week of this will get you back to your normal workout levels. Consistency is the key.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The best way to stay healthy is to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some key steps to defeat that post holiday malaise: eat fresh fruits and veggies, avoid processed foods, decrease sweets and sugars, wash your hands regularly, get good quality sleep, and exercise regularly!
As we enter a new decade, make a fresh commitment to reserve at least 30 minutes a day four times a week to move your body. Your body will thank you and you will maintain an optimum level of health, as long as you stay consistent!

Are you upset?

Do you ever wonder about getting upset? Irritated? I do.

I find when working with clients and in my own life, it all comes back to what we might expect. My spouse has been gone for two months. I expected that he would be home for a while after being gone. Apparently, that was not to be.

Now does the picture make sense?

Anthony has gone off to fly air ambulance service in a tiny silver mining town in Nevada. He is going to be on call for a week there, then will likely be flying down to Mexico for another week. He was home for just 4 days.

We will miss being together New Years. Again. He will likely be busy during my birthday because his 135 check ride will be the day after it.

And he wonders why I am not excited for him to be flying. He is still an unpaid intern. He can't get a green card and I continue to support him. It has now been over three years. Does the picture make more sense?

I try very hard to be positive, upbeat and optimistic. I strive to find the silver lining in nearly all things. I admit, today I feel a bit frayed. The lining is harder to discern, if I can see it at all. I wonder how much longer I have to continue to make the best of things. I find the dream ever more distant. I find the desire to even build expectations failing.

If I was my own client, I would be forced to point out some deeper questions. When do our family needs come first? At what point can we feel less burdened? So yes, I am upset. I am upset he is gone again. I am upset I had some expectations. I am upset I can't seem to see that silver lining. Unfortunately, I find myself becoming tired and simply indifferent, and that is the most frightening of all.

Year in Review - Seal Beach

“The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.” Walt Whitman could have been talking about Seal Beach, for this year in business has been marked by ups and downs, but more often than not, it has been our locals and fellow citizens who have helped business survive.
The Sun asked me to evaluate what has happened in our town over the last year of business and it has been full of challenges. From Mel’s Diner, Minx Fashion Shop and Lei of Love to Circuit City, it has been a tough year for many of our Seal Beach businesses. Those just closed shop. We have seen a rebound in many spaces, like Home by the Seashore and Marshall’s moving into our community. We also have seen an expansion of services like the weekly Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays up by Leisure World. The Chamber was proud to sponsor that market to bring fresh produce and items to residents who lost their only nearby grocery store.
Bay Hardware and 320 Main have changed ownership and the Seal Beach Center, home of Pavilions and CVS, is still full of vacancies. Thankfully, there are some new businesses, which are finally coming in.
From an events standpoint, the Chamber and the Seal Beach community have had an incredible year of production. Starting in March, we had the 2nd annual Seal Beach Health Fair with over 80 vendors and hundreds of participants up at the Shops at Rossmoor. Look for the 3rd annual Health Fair on March 20th, 2010.
The 5k/10k Seal Beach Run was another record success with Bill Ayres at the helm. The business community and volunteer committee came together along with incredible attendance of 5,500 runners, to produce the most successful fundraiser in race history, giving back over $100,000 to the various grant recipients.
How about that amazing car show? So incredible! The last several years have been filled with a sold out show by mid-February. Over 550 cars, exhibits and nearly 20,000 visitors, the Seal Beach Car Show is the single largest event we produce. Mark your calendars now for the event on April 24th, 2010!
The Chamber had the largest run of our well-received Summer Concert Series from the July 4th week on to September 2nd. This year’s series marked an expansion by 3 concerts to be “9 in ‘09”. When other communities were cutting back on activities for residents and visitors, Seal Beach was expanding! We look forward to next summer’s series and seeing all of you there. Let us know how we can make it better for you as well.
October was the month for Sidewalk Sale and Trick or Treat. Record number of little ones gathered on Main Street on Friday and Saturday to collect their treats from participating merchants. The Sidewalk Sale ran on Saturday and Sunday. While we tried combining the two events this year, next year we will return to the previous format by popular demand; separate weekends for separate events.
November kicked off the holiday season in style with the 30th Annual Community Thanksgiving dinner held at St. Anne’s Church and pulled together by the entire community. The 2nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony took place on the Friday after Thanksgiving at Eisenhower Park at the Pier. This event has really taken hold as an annual tradition. This year many fun details were added for the kids such as faux snow to play in, picture cutouts, Santa, Antique Fire Truck and more! Put it on your calendar for next year, the Friday after Thanksgiving.
December was definitely Christmas month with the 29th Annual Christmas Parade down Main St. This year’s parade saw a record number of entries at 95, which included over 3100 people just in the parade! Now imagine 9,000+ people lining Main Street to watch. The holiday spirit was in full swing and carried us to 2010.
When considering the other successes in our community, we have the LIONS, LOTE, Surfrider Foundation, Save our Beach, Friends of the Library, and so many other organizations which come together with our friends and neighbors to make our community great. As I mentioned in my last article during Christmas week, there are many businesses, which have insight and are bringing even greater success. It was also a pleasure to see Rick Gordon, the current president of the McGaugh PTA talk about the two way street of shared responsibility in his December 2nd, op-ed piece in the Sun. We can make our community better in 2010 by continuing to focus on our businesses, neighborhoods, events and schools. We need to keep local dollars local and help each other even more in the coming year. As a final note, I think credit is due to the Sun Newspapers, for providing our local newspaper filled with stories and resources week in and week out for the last 42 years. For as Issak Walton, the famous English biographer said, “Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.” So it is in our community. Happy New Year and remember, in 2010 to always shop local.

Christmas Day

Christmas is a special time. Take time to appreciate your customers & clients. They are the reason you make a living.

Also, I want to take a special momement to thank my family and closest friends - love and joy to all of you and thank you for all that you are and will be. My life is richer, fuller and far more delightful with you in it.

Thank them with words, gifts and deeds. Remember that they will likely be making a choice about you and the service you provide in the coming year. Deliver excellence in all components of what you provide - including your appreciation.

Give gifts of appreciation and joyful

Frenzied Consumerism

Doesn't the holiday bring out the frenzy in people? Have you noticed that in the season of giving and appreciation, we are surrounded by people who are impatient, hostile, rude and in too much of a hurry? It amazes me how quickly people narrow their focus to their immediate need and forget that others are there to help.

I had an interesting experience returning a gift recently. It was a major department store and I have to say it was incredibly easy. We did not have a receipt and they exchanged a set of bed sheets for the correct size without any hassle. The people in line who were returning did not seem to understand the ease with which these returns were occurring. I was also amazed at the tremendous amount of "stuff" which was for sale. There were rows and rows of clothes, home furnishings, housewares, bathroom and bedding. I saw designer names like Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren and others. It counjured the vision of the US consumer as a school of piranha - all ready to strip the merchandise from the shelves in a frenzy of consumerism. I felt ill.

We live in a society which celebrates its own disposability. I wonder when we will realize that our lives and our efforts which go to purchase so much of this "stuff" are somewhat empty. Could we not buy less or at least appreciate what we have more? I think the businesses do themselves a credit by making returns easy. On the other hand, I don't think it helps our consumer driven lifestyle or expectations. Make an effort to be more appreciative of the service you receive. At the same time, consider the consumption you do and try to reduce it. Both of these will improve your ability to provide exceptional service to your clients.

Twas the night before. . .

As some of you may know, my partner, Anthony, has been out of town for the last 7 weeks. It has been a LONG 7 weeks. He had gone to the UK to renew his visa, and to convert his licenses from the FAA to the JAA.

I can't tell you how excited I am to see him. When you work for yourself, and in many ways by yourself, your spouse often is your "venting" and stabilizing influence. I know that I have done all I can to stay busy while he has been gone and this was a "natural, easy transition," but it is a relief to know he will be back. My sounding board and best friend will be here. That makes a huge difference.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and the best of the time off. I hope you all spend time with family, friends and loved ones as this time draws near!

Some business insights

Today I wrote a quick piece for the Sun Newspapers about some key businesses in Seal Beach. Here it is!

Surviving in business can be hard. Failure rates of new businesses often hover around 80% in the first five years. After years like 2009, that rate may seem low. Though we have some big business in Seal Beach, most of our local businesses are the “Mom & Pop” size and have been around for years. Do you wonder how some continue to make it in our town? I did, and here is what I found out from five successful businesses:

• Brita’s Old Town Gardens, 225 Main Street – Brita shared with me, “We are thankful for the support of the local residents in our business. They really keep us going and share with us what they want. It is not just Old Town, but we draw from Rossmoor, Long Beach, Los Alamitos and even further like Palos Verdes. Without them, we couldn’t continue to stay in business as a unique provider of plants, garden and yard pieces.” So remember to stay engaged with the community and listen to what they want. Winning concept – customers.

• Main Street Cyclery, 317 Main Street – Dave Dunton said, “Keep your business simple and the focus on what works. After being on Main Street in two different locations and in business for 12 years, I realized you don’t change a winning game. We just keep providing knowledge and service to our customers and that works. Families have bought multiple bikes as they grow and change.” Winning concept – simplicity.

• Crema Café, 322 Main Street – Tarit Tanjasiri, who has seen growth even this year in his business, credits his product and people. “It’s all about the food. If you make something so delicious that people say, ‘Wow, that’s amazing!’ not only will they be back, they will bring friends. The same is true of our staff. By always looking to anticipate what our customer’s need, they are delighted by our service and want to experience it again.” It seems simple too, but how you present your product, whether or not it is food, makes a great deal of difference. Winning concept – quality.

• State Farm Insurance, 1066 Bolsa Avenue – Eric Lenahan feels that his success is based on a strong connection to the community. “For me, it is about engagement. As an agency, we are present at many events and functions, from the Classic Car Show and Summer Concert series to PONY Baseball. Residents, our customers, see that we are part of the community and that we as an agency give back. They know we are here and that we care. That makes a difference when they are making a buying decision for insurance. They know we are here to stay and we put our energy back into our own backyard.” Winning concept – community engagement.

• Beach Fitness, 148 Central Suites E&F –Bryce Turner feels, “This year we expanded our business. It was a risk, but one we were ready to take to position ourselves for 2010 and to innovate. You can’t stay static in the fitness business, you have to always be looking for new ways of helping people. You have to change it up to keep your clients engaged and challenged.” Winning concept – innovation.

As David Rockafeller said, “Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” If you use the points above to consider success in your own business and stay focused on community, the possibilities in 2010 look bright. As always, please remember to SHOP LOCAL as our winning concept and keep your sales tax dollars in our town!

Supes & Geekiness

If you could be a superhero (supe), who would you be?

I have to say, that for me, Firestorm the Nuclear Man (the first one), wins hands down. A fusion between a high school jock (Ronnie Raymond) and a Nobel laureate physics professor (Dr. Martin Stein), Firestorm is the perfect duality between brains and brawn. In addition, his super power, the control of the atomic structure of all material objects, transformation, transmutation, atomic blast, flight and superhuman strength, endurance and performance all seem practically peerless. At the same time, he isn't as well know or well established like Superman or Batman. He exudes both tremendous power and the lack of certainty that his dominant personality (Ronnie) has as a new and essentially accidental supe. Much like Spider-Man, Firestorm has his personal life constantly interfering with his supe life and he must always struggle to balance the two. He also struggles with his identity and purpose in life. His powers provide the ability to change the world in dramatic ways yet they do not ever give him the best insight for how to use them effectively to help himself.

What does this have to do with consulting? Well, first off, I have to thank for this inspiration one of my Twitter friends (@cratledge) and the great, quick conversation we had this morning about supes and their affect on our lives. As adults, we often forget the formative impact that hobbies and activities from our youth have on our development. Firestorm, as a character is an example of the ultimate control of his environment that is tortured with a dual nature on the inside. Often times, as a consultant, we have tremendous impact on a business, but we like Dr. Martin, are not the prime mover within it. We can only advise and inform, not always make decisions. That is the struggle that I face with many clients. We know the right moves for others, but sometimes even struggle to make them in own business and life.

Try to think about what supe you would be. Manifest their best attributes and ignore their faults. Sometimes channeling a little superhero is good for the soul and for perspective in your own life and business.

Did I mention Firestorm is freaking hot & sexy? Ok, I admit it, I was a bit in love with him too. . . lol.

Holiday Rush & Service

What is your customer service mantra? How do you measure your own commitment to the success of your clients? During the holidays, the sense of urgency often may diminish the commitment to providing a consistently high level of service. This hurried state of mind distracts us from the need to listen carefully, process what the customer is saying and meeting their needs.

One of the ways you can measure your commitment is by repeating back what the customer wants. I have found as simple as it sounds, it prevents confusion later. Another key way to "hurry up and slow down" is by scheduling plenty of time for activities. By having appointments, you block out time and can focus on the client when they are most ready to share information with you.

This holiday, just be careful of being in too much of a rush and losing site of where you money truly comes from, the customers you serve.